Wednesday, August 31, 2005

Originally published at "PRT Is A Joke" IS A JOKE v.1Words written with wildcards (***, !!!, etc.) was the way we originally wroteKen Avidor, Ken, and Avidor.

Today *** writes,

"The price of
regular at the local BP gas station is $2.99.9 a gallon. The Cheap Oil
Age is gone... Americans will have to become less dependant [sic] on
petroleum... fast. They will have to walk and ride bikes. They will have to take trains and buses."Source

We can't wait for ***'s new blogs, "Plug-in Electric Cars are a Joke," and "Biodiesel, Ethanol, CNG & Hydrogen-Powered Cars are Bogus."

It
ain't a conspiracy pushing people to find ways to preserve their
individual mobility-- it's human ingenuity. *** can't blame PRT for
that. But let's hope he tries.

Errata:We now have a motto! Dig it: "PRT Is a Joke Is a Joke" is perhaps the leading skeptic of Personal Rapid Transit skeptics.

Tuesday, August 30, 2005

Originally published at "PRT Is A Joke" IS A JOKE v.1Words written with wildcards (***, !!!, etc.) was the way we originally wroteKen Avidor, Ken, and Avidor.

We are proud to present, in all its glory, the first piece in the puzzle
that is *** ******, anti-PRT activist unextraordinaire. It is an apt
place at which to begin our group-written biography of ***, as it attempts to reconstruct the seminal event he often cites as the reason for his crusade.

But first a few words of wisdom from a big-time author:

Since
1934, any number of films have used some version of this disclaimer:
"The events and characters depicted in this photoplay are fictitious.
Any similarity to actual persons, living or dead, is purely
coincidental."...

Clearly, the "coincidence" and "fictitious"
disclaimers are inadequate summaries of the truth status of many films
to which they are appended. Nor do they fully protect against a
defamation suit, as the makers of the World War II movie They Were Expendable were to learn when sued by Commander Robert Kelly in 1948, and as the makers of The Bell Jar learned when sued earlier this year.

But
the other guise in which historical films often present themselves is
not wholly satisfactory either. Here no one can be held liable... Words
roll across the early frames, attributed to no one, setting the stage
with an available historical past. Sometimes the claim to veracity is
explicit. Truffaut's finely wrought Story of Adele H., drawn from
the journal of Victor Hugo's daughter, opens: "The story (histoire) of
Adele is true; it is about events that really happened and people who
really existed. "Near the beginning of Roland Joffe's The Mission,
we read, "The historical events represented in this story are true and
happened in Paraguay and Argentina in 1758 and 1759." And not long after
the opening images of The Return of Martin Guerre, an unknown
voice tells the audience, "This is not a tale of adventure or imaginary
fable, but a pure, true story (pas un conk aventureux ou invention
fabuleuse, mais une pure et vraie histoire)." True history simply exists
out there, and is as available to be drawn upon as legend.

-Umberto Eco
The Yale Review, 86 (1986-87): 457-82

And
now, on with the show. This piece of intel was received on super-dooper
double-secret background from "R," we hope you find it instructive, as
well as enlightening:

Few know the real story behind
******'s anti-PRT obsession. He claims an angry PRTer disrupted a
work-shop put on by him and his wife and decided then and there to
confound PRT at every turn. The truth is more interesting:

He was
putting on his work-shop on transit alternatives when one J.E. Anderson
spoke up to offer the alternative of PRT. He eruditely and compellingly
laid out the case for PRT. He dazzled one and all with his technical
expertise.

****** was smitten by the good doctor's charm and
intellect. After Anderson finished, ****** offered to leave his wife and
elope with Anderson on a torrid love affair. Anderson was flattered but
replied that he could only have one true love, PRT.

******was
enraged, he then and there decided that if he could not have Anderson,
no one would, including PRT. So began his life-long vendetta against
PRT.

Hell hath no fury like an ****** scorned.

The truth is out there. Follow the guideway.

Keep
sending those stories! Remember when using the email link at right to
replace the "AT" in the address with a "@"--an anti-spam precaution.

Monday, August 29, 2005

Originally published at "PRT Is A Joke" IS A JOKE v.1Words written with wildcards (***, !!!, etc.) was the way we originally wroteKen Avidor, Ken, and Avidor.

Just a quick note to let you know that submissions have been coming in on the big *** ****** investigation, which for now will go by the name Project Balatro (Latin for "fool").

Information being received is trending toward two main types-- historical reports or anecdotes about ***, and opinion about ***. While the latter are welcome, we already know what you think about *** ******. What we really need are facts about his past that we can collate and derive a life story.

Friday, August 26, 2005

Originally published at "PRT Is A Joke" IS A JOKE v.1Words written with wildcards (***, !!!, etc.) was the way we originally wroteKen Avidor, Ken, and Avidor.

"I also hope a reporter from the Seattle P.I. investigates these claims and other claims of PRT proponents."Source (#679)

...is one of ***'s newer talking points. It makes him sound so reasonable, does it not? Just int'rested in the truth,
is what he wants us to think. Too bad for him every online forum in
which he's posted is also a record of his distortions, thanks to the
facts posted by yours truly and others.

But by all means, let's have an investigation--of both sides. In fact, let's start now! *** has pointed the desk lamp in PRT's face for years, can he stand the same scrutiny?

Everyone
out there who has stories about ***--his past and present, good or bad,
happy or sad--send them to the Editor. I mean it, we're unreeling the
'scope and shoving it up there for a good, long look.

What was he
like as a kid, young *** Weiner (his old surname, I understand)? What's
his favorite color? His favorite food? Smoker? Teatotaler? What kind of
videos does he rent? Did he go to his senior prom?

Why did he
move to Minnesota? Is he a dog person? A cat person? Top? Bottom? And
why the fascination with air conditioning, heating, and Sen. Michele
Bachmann (R-Stillwater)?

Just use the handy email link at
right (you have to replace the "AT" in the address with a "@"--an
anti-spam precaution). We look forward to your submissions.

Erratum: 2951 visitors

Purrfect

A reader has informed us of the possibility that anti-PRT Seattlite "serial catowner" (see "Is stuck... is stuck... is stuck," 8.24.05) is a nurse.

Here's
a What If question for catowner. Suppose someone has an operable brain
tumor. Would you want the surgeon to use the latest surgical tools and
most up to date techniques? Or will you insist on the proven, state of
the art neurosurgery c.1930?

All we are trying to do with PRT is advance the state of the art of transit. Because since when is state of the art anything immune from eventual improvement?

Thursday, August 25, 2005

Originally published at "PRT Is A Joke" IS A JOKE v.1Words written with wildcards (***, !!!, etc.) was the way we originally wroteKen Avidor, Ken, and Avidor.

*** reminds me of a gag from the classic Woody Allen movie, What's Up Tiger Lily:

"At
one point during the planning of a break-in, a spy unfolds a map of
their quarry's residence, explaining that the man "lives here." "He
lives on that small piece of paper?" questions one of the henchmen. It's
that silly." Source

When *** writes about "dorky little wheels" on a scale model of a PRT vehicle, I almost expect him to ask, "how can three people ride in something so small?"

When
I explain to him that a PRT vehicle has been designed with places to
mount HVAC equipment, the makers know what equipment to use and how much
it will weigh, he acts as though the very idea is impossible. It's as
if 45-50 pounds of equipment that works in cars WON'T work in PRT,
simply because it's PRT. Or he'll write that the amount of weight HVAC
will add is a mystery-- 45-50 pounds suddenly becomes indeterminate!

What
supernatural qualities does he ascribe to PRT that it possesses such
powers? It's just engineering. Maybe to *** ****** it's one of the Black
Arts.

Flyp-Flop-ocrite

*** recently allowed that:

"If those people want to pursue PRT with their own money, that's okay with me." Source, #356

How nice of him to say--now. Too bad his PRTJ website has a page titled "Don't Invest in Bogus PRT!" (roadkillbill.com/PRT%20PigNPoke.html)

Plus, you also have to take his LTO3 about "PRT is impossible" as an attempt to discourage private investment as well.

So busy; so bossy; so concerned about what other people are doing with their own time and money (see also: "The O.C.," 7.29.05, below).

Wednesday, August 24, 2005

Originally published at "PRT Is A Joke" IS A JOKE v.1Words written with wildcards (***, !!!, etc.) was the way we originally wroteKen Avidor, Ken, and Avidor.

The Seattle P-I has given *** ****** another opportunity to make a fool of himself: they decided to publishEl Rueda del Chirrido's usual Talking Points.

What
more can you say? It's the usual LTO3s: misrepresentations, distortions
and ad hominem attacks. He even calls journalists "gullible."
Niiiiiice. The only new wrinkle was his strange claim that the
contractor Short Elliott Hendrickson is a wholly owned subsidiary of
Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen. Well, Olsen is a very Minnesota surname.

But
the byproduct of this battle was that the feedback forum accompanying
his propaganda became a flame war almost from the get-go. This was
unfortunate, because most people wanting to educate themselves about PRT
would surely have been put off.

There was one amusing sidenote. A poster named "serialcatowner" tscott@s...net couldn't distinguish between PRT and a cable gondola.

Friday, August 19, 2005

Originally published at "PRT Is A Joke" IS A JOKE v.1Words written with wildcards (***, !!!, etc.) was the way we originally wroteKen Avidor, Ken, and Avidor.

Good day PRT world! Our buddy *** is at it again, clogging up a Seattle P-I feedback forum with his usual catechism of Talking Points.

Like an "anti-PRT insurgent" (they hate us for our ondemand, nonstop service!), he is doing his best to snipe at a pro-PRT guest editorial.

Fortunately, his 'best' is the same old disinfo, LTO3. It's all there. The TPs:

"PRT is a scam""a PRT fanatic disrupted a workshop my wife and I were conducting""PRT is all about spreading disinformation about conventional transit.""Taxi 2000/Skyweb is mired in a lawsuit against its founder""I written [sic]
to the editors... and asked them to assign an investigative reporter to
find what exactly PRT is, who is promoting it and why. I suggest other
readers... do likewise."The links to long-since-debunked propaganda:

"Personal Rapid Transit -- Cyberspace Dream Keeps Colliding With Reality""The Road Less Traveled: The pros and cons of personal rapid transit." by Troy Pieper...blah blah blah dee blah. You get the idea. *** is fond of calling PRT a "waste of time." Seems like he's the waste of time, no contest.

There are two added twists--new targets: David Morris, a Minnesota progressive who is part of the ILSR progressive think tank and the New Rules Project, and Air America. Why? Because you're only a real progressive if *** says you are.But Morris supports PRT. So the slip of test paper on which *** has written "Morris" turns Stalking-Horse Red instead of Liberal Blue.

It's
not the first time: *** has also attacked your Editor for my support of
PRT, lumping me in with Tom DeLay and his ilk. Me!--a liberal Dem,
Kucinich Kid, Deaniac and leftist blogger.

Give me a break; who does *** think he is? I've been on the Left
as long as I can remember--in the 3rd grade I was for McGovern, while
all the thuggish schoolboy-patriots in my class were for Tricky Dick. I
worked for whip-smart John B. Anderson when America was falling in love with empty-headed Reagan. Jim McDermott is my Congressman, and I want him there for the rest of time.

Why is Air America in ***'s crosshairs? Answer: Morris has a weekly segment1 on the Wendy Wilde Show,
airing mornings on the Minnesota Air Am affiliate. Which must mean
"Tricky ***" doesn't consider Air America truly liberal, either.2

So
to sum up: you've got someone who attacks progressives and a liberal
radio network. Now what do you usually call such a person? Certainly not progressive. Or liberal.

Or how about his talking point that PRT designer Ed Anderson calls PRT "disruptive technology." *** wants you to think Anderson means 'disrupting mass transit' to benefit highway interests. In fact the term comes from economics:
meaning to challenge dominant technology, either by filling an unmet
need, or by starting small and moving 'up-market' by means of
performance improvements.

Isn't it strange (or maybe not) how ***
twists and distorts in attempting to sully PRT, but ignores PRT
supporters when they write things like:

:: "PRT is an essential technology in a Sustainable World!" -Andrew Euston, Planning and Community Development, HUD

:: "The European Union... views PRT as an important part of the Kyoto Protocol effort." -Cities21

:: "PRT is transit that is accessible, fast, affordable and safe--an additional tool for getting more people out of their cars." -SoundPRT

:: "I would use my bicycle or walk more often, if the streets were safe for anything other than SUVs." -Bob Dunning, President of ATRA (Advanced Transit Association)

::
"A much less used street is much more desirable to pedestrians and
local inhabitants. The realistic goal of PRT is to turn entire cities
into something like the historical centers of many European cities:
paved streets with very sparse vehicle movement... low noise and
pollution, a safer and more pleasant environment for the pedestrians and
the kids." -Transport-Innovators List 8/15/2005

"I
[expletive] hate my car. Lousy piece of [expletive]. I'd gladly put a
bullet in the back of its head, [then] dump it in a lime-filled ditch,
piss on it, then walk away with fond memories of the event."

Does *** put this out hoping you'll be shocked? Odd, since *** himself hates cars too.

Again quoting Kennedy:

"He
gets on the bus. There is one black person. At the next stop he gets
off. All of a sudden, girls drop their trench-coats clad in skimpy
dresses, silver platters of drinks and hors de vours suddenly appear.
Music starts, everyone smiling and laughing. Then at the next stop a
black guy gets on the bus, everything disappears. Girls jump back in
their trench-coats.

"That's what it would take to get me on the bus: girls, booze, good food and good company. In that order."

Gosh,
what was that? Some sort of private tape from a therapy session? A
trial transcript? No, it was just Kennedy trying to come up with a
humorous way to advertise PRT. It reminds the Editor of a skit from
Saturday Night Live, In Living Color or, more recently, Mad TV. And in fact Kennedy does refer to Eddie Murphy's classic "White Like Me" skit from SNL as inspiration. But *** doesn't include this in his post, because that would provide accurate context.

In
case his readers still aren't convinced, *** makes one further attempt
at playing the shock card. He compares Kennedy's words to the new Paul
Provenza/Penn Jillette film The Aristocrats, in which the
greatest comics working today take turns interpreting an incredibly
dirty joke that has been told backstage for years.

Here's what that lowbrow gutter publication Salon.com says about The Aristocrats;

"...exhilarating
documentary about the genesis and continual evolution of one very dirty
joke, is less about free speech than about the freedom of speech. And
viewing it as a manifesto only detracts from its indelicate, yet
delicately calibrated, brilliance."Source

Strange that *** would not like such a celebration of free expression, since he himself makes his living as a supposed artist.

Friday, August 12, 2005

Originally published at "PRT Is A Joke" IS A JOKE v.1Words written with wildcards (***, !!!, etc.) was the way we originally wroteKen Avidor, Ken, and Avidor.

TV producers sue, say show idea was stolen:

"ABC,
Simon Cowell and producer Fremantle Media have been sued for allegedly
stealing the idea for a show that will appear on ABC later this year.

Two
Minneapolis-based producers claim in a suit filed in Los Angeles
yesterday that Cowell & Co. ripped off their idea -- and name -- for a
show called the "Million Dollar Idea" that would reward creators of new
products or businesses."Source

Minneapolis?! I bet *** was going to be one of the judges.
He would tell the contestants that their inventions and businesses are
impossible, and that "there's already an older, proven product that does
that. How dare you try and compete with it! What a pathetic waste of
time. You're going nowhere."

And O the catch phrase possibilities!

Regis
had "Is that your final answer?" Ann Robinson was "You are the weakest
link. Good-bye." Ozzie Osbourne's was "@$#!$" Trump: "Ya fired."

It's hard to settle on just one catch phrase for ***. The obvious one is "BO-GUS!" But why be obvious?

The
teapot-tempest began Aug. 10, when the activist quoted 1st Corinthians
Ch. 7 as support for his belief that Rep. Olson should cruise for women on trains or buses.
"At the time I wrote that, I did not know that that part of Corinthians
was actually about the problem of herds of sheep blocking roads in the
Corinth metropolitan area, and not about confirmed bachelors at all,"
said the activist. "Although some kind of mass transit system like LRT,
Lutheran Rapid Transit, could have given Corinthians an alternative to
herd-jams, so they could leave their chariots at home."

But
despite the clarification, the activist still had plenty to question
about Presbyterian Rapture Theology. The activist stated, "This elevated form of rapture
is bogus! People rising up into the air would be able to see into
people's bedroom windows. Ask people in your congregations if they want
all the trees on their street cut down, so as not to block ascensions."

He also said that full immersion baptism is "a complete, pathetic waste of time."

"Catholic,
'sprinkle' baptism is a proven, dependable mode of baptism," the
activist said. "Full immersion wastes water. It creates a drowning
hazard. How do you know the last baptizee didn't pee in the pool? And,
uh, it's promoted by beverage companies, who have given large sums of
cash to church supply companies."

When asked for proof, he gave reporters the subject line of an e-mail, "Re: Our plan to use up all water on the planet & make everyone drink Snapple." He said he did not have the original message with him.

"I
doubt many churches will want to purchase huge baptism pool systems,
since the water isn't even heated," he said, holding up an illustrated
brochure from the GolgothSpa Pool Company. "Show me where they've
installed water heaters in these photos."

Monday, August 08, 2005

Originally published at "PRT Is A Joke" IS A JOKE v.1Words written with wildcards (***, !!!, etc.) was the way we originally wroteKen Avidor, Ken, and Avidor.

It's often said those who can't stand the heat should get out of the kitchen. In *** ******'s
case not only can he not stand the heat (reacting badly to anything he
perceives as a personal attack), but he stays in the kitchen (by
continuing to dish out abuse at others). In fact, he's setting fire to
the restaurant:

:: *** has attacked your Editor: "your voice most likely carries all the tell-tale inflections of a raving crack-pot." This immediately after writing "If you and I lived in England I could sue you for slander and defamation and I'd win." He won't even respond to me anymore (Source, Comment 3).

:: Is fascinated with State Senator Michele Bachmann (previously documented) as though she were a bright, shiny object.

Now he's Photoshopping State Rep. Mark Olson's head on Queen Victoria's body, all because two years ago Olson said he thought "Some sex education encourages touching and intimacy. [Young women] need to protect their purity" (emphasis, Source). In addition, *** adds to the smear by asking "So what does Rep. Mark Olson know about "ladies"?",
pairing this insinuating question with the data that Olson used to be a
"log home builder" (as in Log Cabin Republican? Just asking.) and is
unmarried.

Maybe *** missed this part of history class, but
Victorian sexual repression, if that's what he's trying to smear Olson
with, was about the era, not the monarch. And it was probably all propaganda
anyway: promiscuity, drug abuse (such as opium dens) and other illicit
activities were probably as widespread then as today. Even the Queen
herself had a dalliance, the Scotsman John Brown, although that may
never have been consummated--

Hold on, I've lost track: is ***
smearing Olson as: a Puritan; a closet case; a bachelor; a
constitutional monarch; or poorly educated in British history?

Originally published at "PRT Is A Joke" IS A JOKE v.1Words written with wildcards (***, !!!, etc.) was the way we originally wroteKen Avidor, Ken, and Avidor.

If you were trying to stop a new invention, what would be your points of attack? Feasibility? Safety? Affordability? Politics?

*** ******
has tried all these, and failed. But over the weekend his private
campaign against PRT took perhaps its most bizarre turn yet: now *** is
attempting to link PRT to right-wing moralism.

The
opening for his attack comes in the form of a two-year old Conservative
Tourette's-influenced statement by Minnesota State Rep. Mark Olson, in
favor of abstinence-only education curriculum:

"A
woman's modesty is her natural protection. Some sex education encourages
touching and intimacy. They need to protect their purity."

Olson
expressed fear that young women who are taught to safely enjoy their
sexuality will become insatiable sexual monsters. "It leads young ladies
to be very free with their bodies," he said. "They will be harmed
permanently for life. Some people believe that a young woman can grow up
and have sex with hundreds and hundreds of men and it's no big deal."Source

Let
me interject something here. I have no problem with Biblically-dictated
right-wing morality, it's just not for me. As long as those who believe
in it use it to live their own lives, as their personal choice and
without foisting it upon others, that's fine. More power to 'em.

Clearly,
Rep. Olson's personal beliefs have found their way into the public
policy process. That is wrong, and I think most people would disagree
with that aspect of this issue--maybe even a majority in the district
that elected Olson. But maybe not. But even if Olson is merely
reflecting the beliefs of his constituents, having those beliefs in law
is also wrong.

But this doesn't mean *** is right, for two reasons.

1. Objectively, Olson's ultimate goal, mitigating harmful behavior
by female minors that could cause permanent or long term emotional
and/or physical harm, is good [1]. Liberals interested in family
planning, HIV and STD prevention, etc. would agree with Olson's ends, if
not the means. *** seems to be saying that he thinks this is weird.

2. What does PRT, a transit technology, have to do with underage sex, sex education, or sexuality of any kind? The answer is nothing: Mark Olson just happens also to be a PRT supporter. *** is using that age-old trick, guilt by association--Olson believes X; Olson supports Y. Therefore X=Y.

When
one looks back at ***'s statements, it's obvious how he attempts to tar
PRT using sexual, deviant, anti-social, and even violent imagery. He's
the one who has:

:: Tried to say that people call PRT "menage a trois transit" (he's the only one, see August 1). Can you imagine a child Googling PRT for science class reading that? "Mommy, what's a menage a trois?"

:: Said that people riding elevated transit would get "a clear view into... bedroom windows," as though no one owns curtains. Or lives downhill of roads, or other homes, or below taller buildings...

:: Shocked viewers who think they are going to see a legitimate PRT simulation, instead he shows them a poorly animated cartoon
of a stereotypical wino throwing up on a family. Is *** saying such
things don't happen on transit now? Is he saying it's OK as long as it
happens on a train or bus? Is he not compassionate toward alcoholics? Does he even know what he's saying?

:: Photoshopped a female legislator's head onto the body of a dominatrix.

:: Claimed terrorists would use PRT to send bombs, even though his primary target, the T2K Corp., has engineered a Go button that would make sending unattended packages impossible. Is *** saying trains and buses are immune from this danger?

*** has written that PRT supporters are "fearmongers." Sounds like classic projection to me.

Erratum: 967 visits

Ya know, I should try ***'s old trick and end every post with a link to myself. I'll keep you posted on how that goes.

1.
I don't think anyone who isn't currently incarcerated or in costly
therapy, or ought to be, truly believes sex with hundreds and hundreds
of partners is "fine," as Olson said "some people believe." That has got
to be hyperbole, i.e., not to be taken literally.

So triple_a responds: "I am against the boon doggle [sic] of mass transit as a congestion solution."

***, regurgitating a talking point: "PRT
is NOT transit. Groups that lobby for transit do not support PRT:
...tlcminnesota.org/Events/2004/Legislatu re/No%20public%20funding
%20for%20PRT.pdf"

But being a self-identified transit-opponent and right-winger doesn't make triple_a stupid, he manages to see right through ***'s empty logic as easily as a kindergartner would: "It is transit. Its [sic] in the name for bleeps sake."

SMB: Great. OK, fine,
gimme. [takes phone] Hello, ***? Where are you? Across the street... oh.
Look, I don't know why you're calling. I told you, it's over between
us. There's just no future for a neocon like me and a-- whatever it is
you are-- like you. Mary Matalin? Trust me, you're no James Carville. I
'm sorry, that was unfair, I just felt like hurting you; I don't know
why.

Dean
Zimmerman???!!! He means nothing to me! Jeez, all I did was have one
conference call and a couple of committee briefings and you have to get
all bent out of shape.

Greens aren't even my type! They have no
power, what kind of aphrodisiac is no power? It just isn't sexy. Oh
pooh-bear, you do so have power, you're an internationally reknowned-
nationally reknowned- regionally- all over the- southern part of the
state! Oh, stop it with your self pity!

:: PRTJ again, this time excluding self-references (mentions on ***'s own web domains): about 90 hitsUnder this method, we find ***'s PRTJ is mentioned on the web at a frequency 0.29% (90/31,300) that of PRT. Or expressed another way, Personal Rapid Transit is mentioned 348 times more often than PRTJ.

There. Wasn't that fun?

I'm
still trying to figure out a way to filter out the hundreds of times
that *** has posted his own URL on other people's web sites and blogs.

(IT ANNOYS THE MINNESOTA ANTI-PRT PROPAGANDIST WHEN HIS NAME ISN'T MENTIONED. So we don't. Exactly.)

"One of the best ways to address it, honestly, in all seriousness, is to mock the people who are making these allegations." -Rachel Maddow

"There's no way to debate liars." -Randi Rhodes

"What I do isn't propaganda. What I do is taking what they say and using it against them. What I do is jujitsu. They say something ridiculous and then I subject them to scorn and ridicule. That's my job." -Al Franken